A to Z
by Hermione is a hottie
Summary: The A to Z's of the life and times of Cloud, Tifa and the children they call their own.
1. S is for Sway

A/N- Don't own FFVII.

-S is for Sway-

Her wine colored orbs scanned the room idly as she made her way towards the balcony, desperate for some fresh air and privacy. Weaving through the hords of people, she was relieved to see the glass doors right before her. As discretely as possible, she snuck through and was greeted by the cool air against her too-warm skin.

Shaking off the chill, she wrapped her arms around herself and moved to the far side of the balcony, away from the door and what seemed like a million men who wanted to dance (among other things) with her.

With a sigh, she leaned against the railing and gazed at the night sky. She desperately wanted to go home but knew it would be bad form. Tonight was Cid and Shera's night and it would be awful for one of the bridesmaid to bounce out like that. Not when her two friends were glowing with happiness (and just a little bit of booze in Cid's case), honored and pleased about having all their loved ones with them on such a joyous occasion.

She could hear the faint hum of laughter and music emanating from the open doors a few feet away and a sudden desire to go back and join the celebration threatened to overtake her. With a frown, she shook it off and opted instead to gaze at the water fountain that was bubbling softly in the garden below her. She noticed a few yellow lilies floating in the water and silently sent a loving prayer to the flower girl, barely noticing the gentle swish of the doors closing and the soft footsteps that stopped a foot away from her.

"Tifa." 

The sound of his voice always made her shiver delightfully in spite of herself, and it had been that way since they were children. There was just something about the way he said her name, like it was a rare delicacy and he was savoring every last juicy morsel.

"Cloud, why aren't you inside?" Tifa turned around, her back resting against the cold railing. Her eyes ran over him, the sight of the blond haired man in a tux was making her stomach lurch in the most peculiar way.

His gentle smile surprised her, but before she had time to react he was beside her and his jacket was around her shoulders. She blinked up at him before smiling, her shoulder resting gently against his.

"Shera looked beautiful today. I've never seen her so happy." He spoke softly, but Tifa heard him and agreed. Shera indeed looked radiant in her wedding gown.

They spoke about the wedding for a few moments before the first few chords of a familiar and well loved song drifted through the air. Cloud watched as the woman beside him closed her eyes and started swaying, lost in the music.

_Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore, hold me close, sway me more._

He stepped away from her before holding his hand to her, a barely restrained grin tugging on the corners of his lips.

"Sway with me."

Her eyes shot open and she placed her hand in his before she even knew what she was doing. She couldn't help but smile as he pulled her to him albeit a bit awkwardly before their bodies acclimated to the other.

Slowly the pair swayed back and forth, a bit hesitantly before gaining confidence. They spun and twirled around on the secluded balcony, hearing only the gentle echo of the song and only seeing each other.

They were enjoying themselves, enjoying the rare moment alone without kids or pesky ninjas or demanding customers asking questions and needing attention. And so when the song ended, Cloud didn't release Tifa and she didn't pull away from him.

Instead they decided to sway just a bit longer.


	2. W is for White

W is for White

It was 4:00 in the morning. At least that was what the tiny clock on her nightstand was telling her. She was awake, hours before she had to be and she couldn't figure out for the life of her why. She shifted, hoping she'd find that one spot that'd send her back into the peaceful oblivion that was sleep but to no avail. She rolled on her back and stared at the glow-in-the-dark stars the kids, with a little help from Cloud, had put up. Tired eyes idly traced the different patterns and shapes the little stars formed.

She sighed and rolled onto her side, coming face to face with what she decided to dub the "evil alarm clock from hell". Bright red numbers taunted her, flashing 4:04. She glared in retaliation.

She shifted again, this time finding herself greeted by the twinkling stars and moon through her window; she must have forgotten to close the shade again. Lacking the energy and motivation to get up and close it, she lay there, nestled in her blankets and mounds of fluffy pillows, getting lost in the night sky.

She came back to reality when little bits of white obstructed her view of the moon. With a frown she sat up, layers of blankets pooling around her waist.

She brought her legs to the side of the bed, carefully peeling the sheets off her legs as bare feet made contact with the cold wooden floor. Walking quietly, she quickly made her way to the window and stood there for a few long moments, staring at the scene just beyond the glass.

She placed a hand on the cool pane of glass and was quickly entranced by the way the small white snowflakes danced and twirled in the wind on their way to the ground that looked almost silver in the moonlight. It was all she could do not to go out there and dance, too.

A gentle tug and the window opened, allowing her to reach out and gaze at the way tiny flakes melted on her skin. The gentle fall of the snow reminded her of Nibelheim, making snow angels with the quiet, sweet blond that was always watching but never participating and of the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate.

She didn't know how long she stood there watching the snow fall, but exhaustion began to creep up on her and the sight of her bed became far too enticing to ignore.

She silently made her way to the bed, not even glancing at the clock, and nestled into her now cold sheets. She faced the still open window and smiled as a few snowflakes drifted into her room and settled on the floor. As sleep began to claim her, she decided not to open the bar for the day and to make sure Cloud didn't go to work. She would make chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate for her little family. Maybe Cloud would even make snow angels with her.

So she slept, head filled with images of beautiful white snow and three smiling faces and the faint taste of treats in her mouth.


	3. T is for To Do Lists

-T is for To Do Lists-

To Do:

Pay water bill  
Change bulb in the hall closet  
Laundry  
Force kids to clean their room  
Grocery shopping

Every morning Tifa made a To Do list of all the chores and projects that needed to be done around the bar before it opened; it was part of her everyday monotonous routine. Get up, shower, make breakfast while Cloud showered, wake the children up while the blond swordsman set the table, eat, then the two adults would quickly clean up while Marlene and Denzel were getting ready. They all walked out that front door at the same time every morning, Cloud for his deliveries, she and the kids for school, and a few hugs and whispered goodbyes later they were departing down the road.

Upon returning home, Tifa would park herself in a worn stool, paper and pen in hand to make her cherished list. She would sit there for a good ten minutes while nursing a glass of OJ. Sometimes her list felt never-ending and would carry over into the next day. Sometimes, like today, it was scarily short. With a sigh, she stood and made her way to the kitchen, dropping her empty glass in the sink before proceeding to the fridge.

Tifa quickly went over the list once more before sticking it to the fridge with a cute magnet Marlene made a few months ago. With a satisfied nod she sets about getting ready to go grocery shopping.

It was 3:30 by the time Tifa made it home thanks to the amazing book sale her favorite store was having (50 off the entire store!! How could she say no to **that**!)? Arms laden with groceries and books, Tifa carefully made her way inside and called a quick greeting out to the kids. A giggle was her response and she smiled as she made her way into the kitchen. Placing the bags on the table, she set about putting everything away.

Humming a song she couldn't place, she had just put the milk in the fridge when a flash of pink caught her attention. Upon inspection, Tifa recognized Marlene's scrawl in pink marker and it took a moment to realize the girl had added something to her list.

She read it with a laugh before she crossed off a couple of the items and finished putting the food away.

To Do:

Pay water bill  
Change bulb in the hall closet  
Laundry  
Force kids to clean their room  
Grocery shopping  
Buy Marlene that super cute pink chocobo doll at the store!

It was 5:45 when Tifa made it back to her list. With the sudden influx of customers, she hadn't had a chance to update it. She took advantage of the small lull and stepped into the kitchen, fishing a pen out of her pocket. She spared a quick glance into the bar to see if anyone needed her immediate attention before moving over to the fridge. She had just crossed off laundry off before pausing and staring at the hastily written note below Marlene's. With a giggle, she made a mental note to tell Cloud of Denzel's addition before braving the soon to be rowdy customers.

To Do:

Pay water bill  
Change bulb in the hall closet  
Laundry  
Force kids to clean their room  
Grocery shopping  
Buy Marlene that super cute pink chocobo doll at the store!  
Buy Denzel a sword like Cloud's!!

It was 10:30 by the time the bar was empty and clean. Exhaustion set in like an old friend as she sluggishly made her way to the back. After Yuffie's surprise visit, which did more harm than help, she actually managed to get the ninja to change the light bulb for her and have the kids clean their room . . . which didn't actually go that well if the loud crashes and pained yelps were anything to go by.

She noticed the latest addition long before she even dared to read it, opting instead to cross all the finished items off. She took a moment to study the print, small and careful in a way that would've reminded her of Cloud's if it hadn't been for the tiny hearts above the "i"; those were all Yuffie. She giggled a bit before actually reading what her friend wrote, but her reaction was instantaneous once she did.

Color flooded her face and laughter turned into some sort of choked wheeze. She reread once, twice, three times but the words didn't change. Nope, "Kiss Cloud" was there to stay no matter how hard she glared at the words. She was so caught up in her list she was surprised by the soft voice gently calling to her.

"I'm home."

Cloud.

With a deep breath, she marched into the main area, watching as he wearily took off his sword. Mako blue eyes met ruby red ones and he offered her a tiny smile. She could feel her own growing as she crossed the few steps to him, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him down.

His lips were soft and warm and she missed them as soon as she pulled away. At his questioning look, she smiled sheepishly and looked at her feet for a moment.

"It was on my To Do list…"

He gave a small nod and Tifa turned to leave. She was stopped as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into him, lips ghosting over hers as he murmured, "That's all you got?" before pulling her into a kiss that made her shudder from the deliciousness of it all.

They broke apart sometime later, pausing just long enough for Cloud to walk over to her list and cross off the final item. He studied the print for a heartbeat before turning back to Tifa and pulling her into another kiss, for once thankful for Yuffie's interference but that was going to remain his little secret.


	4. P is for Playing House

-P is for Playing House-

"Would you like some more tea, Cloud?" Marlene's normally sweet, almost angelic voice held a smug edge to it as Cloud glared from his cramped position at the too-small table. At her expectant stare he finally nodded and held up the tiny pink cup as Marlene filled it with invisible tea. She frowned at him and reluctantly he took a sip, pinky out as the girl had instructed.

In a white button down shirt and tie, Cloud could only relish the fact that he was in a better situation than Denzel. The poor boy had been manhandled into a hot pink dress, complete with little pink bows adorning his brown hair. He looked miserable and Cloud couldn't blame him.

How he was talked into playing house he would never know. All he remembered was one moment Tifa was asking him to watch the kids while she went shopping and the next this slip of a girl was shoving him into his best shirt and nearly strangling him with a tie. Shoving him into her and Denzel's room, he took in the little white table adorned with an even smaller pink tea set. The brown haired boy was already there, tied to one of the little pink and white chairs Cloud had spent a week making for her birthday last year. He gave the older man a pleading look to which Cloud could only shrug. He had heard of this before…according to Barrett there was no getting out of it.

He glanced at Marlene as she talked to the stuffed chocobo she cradled in her arms gently. After declaring the name of the game, she ran off only to return moments later. Decked out in oversized purple dress and heels that he remembered Tifa being fond of when they were kids, Marlene declared she was the mom to Cloud's dad and Denzel and Goldie the chocobo were their daughters.

"So Denzella how was school today?" Expectant eyes stared at Denzella until he mumbled a quiet fine. She nodded before shifting her attention to Cloud, pausing only to give Goldie a sip of tea.

"Cloud dear, would you be able to mow the lawn later? We're having Denzella's birthday party Saturday and everything needs to be perfect!" Cloud smiled and nodded his affirmative and Marlene beamed as their game continued pleasantly, if you ignore the struggling and glaring coming from the boy in the pink dress.

It was about an hour later when Marlene finally got bored and decided playing tag was far more appealing then the sight of Denzel in a dress. As they rushed out the door, Cloud paused just long enough to clean up before following them outside, a book in hand. He sat on the front steps and pulled on his reading glasses before he cracked open his book. He only got as far as the first paragraph when suddenly watching the two kids, his two kids, became far more appealing than reading.

He had no idea how long he watched them but he did know the warm body that sat down beside him and the delicate scent of vanilla that invaded his senses.

"What did you guys do today?" Her voice was light, and he smiled as he gave a small shrug. He looked up just as Marlene tackled Denzel to the ground. He looked down in to ruby eyes and his smile grew just a bit. Her answering smile was gorgeous.

"We played house."

She was silent for a before laughing in delight. "Oh, I wish I had been there!! Why does all the fun stuff happen when I'm not home!" Her giggling went on for a few more moments before she calmed and rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her waist and they turned their gazes back to the scene before them.

Soon she would have to start dinner and he would have to get tomorrow's maps together. Soon they would have to send the kids upstairs to cleanup for dinner and force them to their homework before Tifa opened the bar. But for now they just enjoyed the day, each other, and their small family.


End file.
